HYDERABAD: The state government proposed as many 346 structures across Telangana as heritage structures, which includes waterfalls, burials and structures. The State Legislative Assembly on Sunday unanimously adopted the ‘Telangana Heritage (protection, preservation, conservation and maintenance), Bill, 2017’.
Tourism minister Azmeera Chandulal piloted the Bill. Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that hitherto, the Heritage Bill was confined to Hyderabad city only and the declaration of heritage sites too was not done in a rational manner.
“Now, with the formation of Telangana the a Bill for the entire State was introduced,” he said.
Rao said that he would soon convene an all party meeting before framing the rules for the Heritage Act. “We have given a list of protected monuments. We will take suggestions from the all party leaders in the meeting,” Rao said.
Referring to the dilapidated G Block in the Secretariat, KCR said that the building will crumble at any time and it could not not treated as a heritage structure. The Assembly also adopted the ‘Telangana State Goods and Services Tax Bill, 2017’. Moving the Bill on behalf of CM KCR, finance minister E Rajender said the GST would be implemented in the country from July, 2017. There would no tax on agriculture products. But, the GST Council was yet to give clarity on which goods would be include in which slab. Rajender said they were expecting that the GST wold improve the state revenues as the state was a consumption state and not a production state.